The Time Statements in
1 & 2 Thessalonians sticks all the prophetic events within the lifetime of the 1st century saints.
Remember the powerful hermeneutic of audience relevance. Paul is writing to the Thessalonians in around 51-52 A.D. and NOT to “us” in 2012. Identify the antecedents of the pronouns like “
YOU” and “
WE.” Hint: it's not you, me and we in 2012, but Paul addressing the 1st century Thessalonian Christians and himself. Ask the who, what, where, when, why and how questions of this text and a whole new world will open up.
Out of the 8 chapters of both these books combined, 7 chapters contain the imminent return of Christ to the 1st century Christians.
1 Thessalonians 1:10
and to wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He did raise out of the dead -- Jesus, who is rescuing us from the anger that is coming.
1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is OUR hope or joy or crown of boasting before OUR Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not YOU?
1 Thessalonians 3:13
so that he may establish YOUR hearts blameless in holiness before OUR God and Father, at the coming of OUR Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
And I do not wish YOU to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope,14for if WE believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God those asleep through Jesus he will bring with him, 15for this to YOU WE say in the word of the Lord, that WE who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep,16because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, 17then WE who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord WE shall be;18so, then, comfort ye one another in these words.
*** Paul includes himself as WE WHO ARE ALIVE at the (“second”) coming of the lord. Those WHO WOULD BE ALIVE at Christ’s return would be CAUGHT UP. Call it a “rapture” or better harpazo. It happened already!!!
1 Thessalonians 5:1
And concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need of my writing to YOU, 2for YOURselves have known thoroughly that the day of the Lord as a thief in the night doth so come, 3for when they may say, Peace and surety, then sudden destruction doth stand by them, as the travail [doth] her who is with child, and they shall not escape; 4and ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day may catch YOU as a thief; 5all ye are sons of light, and sons of day; WE are not of night, nor of darkness,
23and the God of the peace Himself sanctify YOU wholly, and may YOUR whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preservedunblameably in the presence of OUR Lord Jesus Christ;
***WHY WOULD PAUL WRITE TO THE THESSALONNIANS AND PRAY FOR THEIR BODIES TO BE PRESERVED COMPLETE AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IF IT WASN’T GOING TO BE TRUE TILL 2009+ YEARS LATER?
2 Thessalonians 1:4
so that WE OURselves do glory in YOU in the assemblies of God, for YOUR endurance and faith in all YOUR persecutions and tribulations that ye bear; 5a token of the righteous judgment of God, for YOUR being counted worthy of the reign of God, for which also ye suffer, 6since [it is] a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling YOU -- trouble, 7and to YOU who are troubled -- rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with messengers of his power, 8in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of OUR Lord Jesus Christ; 9who shall suffer justice -- destruction age-during -- from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength, 10when He may come to be glorified in his saints, and to be wondered at in all those believing -- because OUR testimony was believed among YOU -- in that day;
***WERE THE THESSALONNIANS AFFLICTED? DID PAUL NOT WRITE TO THEM THAT GOD WOULD GIVE THEM RELIEF WHEN JESUS WOULD BE REVEALED FROM HEAVEN…? IS PAUL A FALSE PROPHET OR DID JESUS AFFLICT THE THESSALONNIAN PERSECUTORS AND GIVE THE THESSALONIAN SAINTS RELIEF?
2 Thessalonians 2:1
And WE ask YOU, brethren, in regard to the presence of OUR Lord Jesus Christ, and of OUR gathering together unto him, 2that ye be not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the day of Christ hath arrived;
***If the Thessalonians believed like many modern day Christians that “the day of the Lord” is this earth burning up and elements dissolving thing, then how could they have been fooled or even missed it? These Thessalonians Christians did not believe in the foolishness that many modern day Christians believe in.
2 Thess 2:3-12
Let no one in any way deceive YOU, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so THAT HE TAKES HIS SEAT IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do YOU not remember that while I was still with YOU, I was telling YOU these things? 6 And YOU KNOW WHAT RESTRAINS him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only HE WHO NOW RESTRAINSwill do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom THE LORD WILL SLAY WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH AND BRING TO AN END BY THE APPEARANCE OF HIS COMING 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
***SINCE 2 THESSALONIANS IS WRITTEN WHILE THE TEMPLE WAS STILL STANDING, DID JESUS RETURN TO SLAY THE LAWLESS ONE OR WAS PAUL PREDICTING ANOTHER TEMPLE?
***Does not Paul identify that the restrainer was a WHAT and a HE that the 1st century Thessalonians KNEW? So, the how the heck can the restrainer or the son of destruction be someone beyond the lifetime of the 1st century thessaolonians???
2 Timothy 2:14
Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15Do YOUR best to present YOURself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have sWErved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
***If the resurrection is this Michael Jackson Thriller thing where bodies come up out of the ground like many modern day Christians believe, then how could Hymenaeus and Philetus have fooled people that the resurrection had already taken place? All the people would have to do is go to the local cemeteries to check.
Hymenaeus, Philetus and the 1st Century Christians had a different understanding and definition of the nature of the resurrection from modern day Christians. This is why Hymenaeus and Philetus WEre able to upset the faith of some.
11Now may OUR God and Father himself, and OUR Lord Jesus, direct OUR way to YOU, 12and may the Lord make YOU increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as WE do for YOU, 13so that he may establish YOUR hearts blameless in holiness before OUR God and Father, at the coming of OUR Lord Jesus with all his saints.
4Therefore WE OURselves boast about YOU in the churches of God for YOUR steadfastness and faith in all YOUR persecutions and in the afflictions that YOU are enduring.
5This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that YOU may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which YOU are also suffering— 6since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict YOU, 7and to grant relief to YOU who are afflicted as WEll as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of OUR Lord Jesus. 9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from[b] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because OUR testimony to YOU was believed.
2 Thessalonians 1
1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the assembly of Thessalonians in God OUR Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace to YOU, and peace, from God OUR Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
3WE ought to give thanks to God always for YOU, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth YOUR faith, and abound doth the love of each one of YOU all, to one another;
4so that WE OURselves do glory in YOU in the assemblies of God, for YOUR endurance and faith in all YOUR persecutions and tribulations that ye bear;
5a token of the righteous judgment of God, for YOUR being counted worthy of the reign of God, for which also ye suffer,
6since [it is] a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling YOU -- trouble,
7and to YOU who are troubled -- rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with messengers of his power,
8in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of OUR Lord Jesus Christ;
9who shall suffer justice -- destruction age-during -- from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength,
10when He may come to be glorified in his saints, and to be wondered at in all those believing -- because OUR testimony was believed among YOU -- in that day;
11for which also WE do pray always for YOU, that OUR God may count YOU worthy of the calling, and may fulfil all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of the faith in power,
12that the name of OUR Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in YOU, and ye in him, according to the grace of OUR God and Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2
1And WE ask YOU, brethren, in regard to the presence of OURLord Jesus Christ, and of OUR gathering together unto him,
2that ye be not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the day of Christ hath arrived;
3let not any one deceive YOU in any manner, because -- if the falling away may not come first, and the man of sin be revealed -- the son of the destruction,
4who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- [the day doth not come].
5Do ye not remember that, being yet with YOU, these things I said to YOU?
6and now, what is keeping down ye have known, for his being revealed in his own time,
7for the secret of the lawlessness doth already work, only he who is keeping down now [will hinder] -- till he may be out of the way,
8and then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,
9[him,] whose presence is according to the working of the Adversary, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders,
10and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because the love of the truth they did not receive for their being saved,
11and because of this shall God send to them a working of delusion, for their believing the lie,
12that they may be judged -- all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the unrighteousness.
13And WE -- WE ought to give thanks to God always for YOU, brethren, beloved by the Lord, that God did choose YOU from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth,
14to which He did call YOU through OUR good news, to the acquiring of the glory of OUR Lord Jesus Christ;
15so, then, brethren, stand ye fast, and hold the deliverances that ye WEre taught, whether through word, whether through OURletter;
16and may OUR Lord Jesus Christ himself, and OUR God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace,
17comfort YOUR hearts, and establish YOU in every good word and work.
2 Thessalonians 3
1As to the rest, pray ye, brethren, concerning us, that the word of the Lord may run and may be glorified, as also with YOU,
2and that WE may be delivered from the unreasonable and evil men, for the faith [is] not of all;
3and stedfast is the Lord, who shall establish YOU, and shall guard [YOU] from the evil;
4and WE have confidence in the Lord touching YOU, that the things that WE command YOU ye both do and will do;
5and the Lord direct YOUR hearts to the love of God, and to the endurance of the Christ.
6And WE command YOU, brethren, in the name of OUR Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw YOURselves from every brother disorderly walking, and not after the deliverance that ye received from us,
7for YOURselves have known how it behoveth [YOU] to imitate us, because WE did not act disorderly among YOU;
8nor for nought did WE eat bread of any one, but in labOUR and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of YOU;
9not because WE have not authority, but that OURselves a pattern WE might give to YOU, to imitate us;
10for even when WE WEre with YOU, this WE did command YOU, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,
11for WE hear of certain walking among YOU disorderly, nothing working, but over working,
12and such WE command and exhort through OUR Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;
13and ye, brethren, may ye not be weary doing well,
14and if any one do not obey OUR word through the letter, this one note ye, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,
15and as an enemy count [him] not, but admonish ye [him] as a brother;
16and may the Lord of the peace Himself give to YOU the peace always in every way; the Lord [is] with YOU all!
17The salutation by the hand of me, Paul, which is a sign in every letter; thus I write;
18the grace of OUR Lord Jesus Christ [is] with YOU all! Amen.
